US3595014A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotary engines
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-12-30
•
Granted: 1971-07-27
•
Expires: 1989-12-30
Abstract
Abstract A rotary engine of the oscillating rotor or ''''cat-and-mouse'''' type including a shaft with a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to the shaft and for oscillating rotation with respect to each other. The engine includes drive means having drive members reciprocable in response to oscillating rotation of the rotors with respect to each other, and means responsive to reciprocation of the drive members to cause rotation of the shaft.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold A Mcmaster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 22:31
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01C; F01C1/00; F01C1/02; F01C1/063; F03; F03C; F03C1/00; F03C1/02; F03C1/04; F03C1/047; F03C1/0474; F03C1/0476; F02; F02B; F02B53/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 130
Claim 1
Independent Claim
66 words
A rotary machine comprising: a shaft; a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to said shaft and for oscillating rotation with respect to each other; and drive means including at least one drive member reciprocable in response to oscillating rotation of said rotors with respect to each other, and means responsive to reciprocation of said drive member to cause rotation of said shaft.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
66 words
A rotary machine comprising: a shaft; a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to said shaft and for oscillating rotation with respect to each other; and drive means including at least one drive member reciprocable in response to oscillating rotation of said rotors with respect to each other, and means responsive to reciprocation of said drive member to cause rotation of said shaft.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to reciprocation of said drive member includes a cam having an endless cam surface reacting against said drive member to impart rotation to said shaft upon reciprocation of said drive member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said shaft is rotatable with respect to one of said drive member and cam, and is nonrotatable with respect to the other of said drive member and cam.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said shaft is nonrotatable with respect to said drive member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the configuration of the cam surface causes the drive member to move in a sinusoidal path as it rotates with said shaft about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said drive member reciprocates in a radial direction with respect to the axis of said shaft upon oscillating rotation of said rotors with respect to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
110 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the cam is formed with circumferentially spaced lobes projecting toward the axis of the shaft to define radially inwardly extending curved portions of the cam surface, said cam surface being formed with radially outwardly extending curved portions joining the radially inwardly extending portions of said lobes such that said drive member is radially extendable as it moves from a radially inwardly extending portion onto the adjacent radially outwardly extending portion, and is radially retractable as it moves from a radially outwardly extending portion to the adjacent radially inwardly extending portion as the drive member rotates about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein said drive means includes a radially extending open-ended cylinder nonrotatable with respect to said shaft, said drive member comprising a piston received in the open end of said cylinder and projecting therefrom into engagement with said cam surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein a hydraulic circuit having a cavity for hydraulic fluid connected in said circuit, said cylinder being connected in said circuit in hydraulic communication with said cavity.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 9 further including an inlet passage for connecting said hydraulic circuit with a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, and a valve operable to prevent flow of hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic circuit through said inlet passage but permit flow of hydraulic fluid into said circuit through said inlet passage when the pressure from the source exceeds the pressure in said circuit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
133 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein said drive means includes means responsive to oscillating rotation of said rotors with respect to each other to cause hydraulic fluid to flow from said cavity to said cylinder to radially extend said piston member relative to the axis of said shaft as said piston member moves past the innermost point of an inwardly extending portion of the cam surface and for permitting hydraulic fluid to return from said cylinder to said cavity as said piston member moves past the radially outermost point of an outwardly extending portion of said cam surface causing the piston member to radially retract relative to the axis of said shaft as it moves from said radially outermost point toward the following radially innermost point on the cam surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
106 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 11 wherein said means responsive to oscillating rotation of said rotors with respect to each other comprises a pair of hydraulic vanes in said cavity defining the movable walls of an expansible and contractable chamber in said cavity hydraulically connected with said cylinder, said pair of hydraulic vanes being movable toward and away from each other in response to oscillating rotation of said rotors to respectively cause hydraulic fluid to flow to said cylinder to radially extend said piston member and permit hydraulic fluid to flow from said cylinder into said chamber upon radial retraction of said piston member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 12 wherein each one of said pair of hydraulic vanes is carried by respective ones of said pair or rotors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 13 wherein said cavity is annular with an inner cylindrical wall and said shaft extends axially through said cavity.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein each of said rotors is formed with a ring member having an inner diameter greater than the diameter of said shaft, said rings being disposed in end-to-end relationship concentric with said shaft such that their inner surfaces define the outer cylindrical wall of said cavity.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 15 including a pair of axially spaced end wall members nonrotatably mounted on said shaft and projecting radially therefrom and each abutting the outer end of one of said ring members to define an end wall of said cavity.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of said hydraulic vanes extends between the inner and outer cylindrical walls of said cavity as well as between the end walls of said cavity to form an expansible and contractable chamber therewith.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
75 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 17 wherein said cylinder is carried by one of said end wall members, and including a port connecting said chamber with said cylinder such that said cylinder, chamber and port cooperate to define a closed hydraulic system with said piston defining a movable wall of said closed hydraulic system that is radially extendable in response to contraction of said chamber to correspondingly increase the volume of said cylinder.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 18 including a cylindrical wall defining an annular gas cavity with said ring members, the outer surfaces of said ring members defining the inner cylindrical wall of said annular gas cavity.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 19 including means forming end walls for said annular gas cavity.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
A rotary machine claimed in claim 20 including a pair of gas vanes each projecting from respective ones of said ring members and extending radially into sliding engagement with the inner surface of said outer wall as well as axially between said gas cavity end walls into sliding engagement therewith.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
305 words
A rotary machine comprising: a pair of axially spaced outer end walls; an outer cylindrical wall mounted between said outer end walls; a shaft rotatably mounted in said outer end walls; a pair of axially spaced end wall members nonrotatably mounted on said shaft and extending radially therefrom; a pair of rotors rotatably supported on said shaft and received between said end wall members, each rotor having a ring member with an identical set of hydraulic vanes projecting radially inwardly therefrom toward the axis of said shaft; and an identical set of gas vanes projecting radially outwardly from said ring into sliding engagement with the inner surface of said outer cylindrical wall, said ring members being disposed in end-to-end relationship with the outer annular end of each ring member slidably engaged with the adjacent end wall member such that the inner surfaces of said rings defines the outer cylindrical wall of an annular hydraulic cavity receiving said hydraulic vanes, said annular hydraulic cavity having an inner cylindrical wall concentric with said shaft; the outer surfaces of said ring members defining the inner cylindrical wall of an annular gas cavity receiving said gas vanes, the outer cylindrical wall of which is defined by the inner surface of said outer cylindrical wall, said hydraulic vanes each extending axially into sliding engagement with said end wall members such that each adjacent pair of hydraulic vanes defines the movable walls of an expansible and contractable hydraulic chamber in said annular hydraulic cavity; and passage means communicating with each hydraulic chamber for delivery of fluid from the chamber upon contraction thereof caused by movement of the associated adjacent pair of hydraulic vanes toward each other, and for delivery of fluid to the chamber upon expansion thereof caused by movement of the associated adjacent pair of vanes away from each other.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
305 words
A rotary machine comprising: a pair of axially spaced outer end walls; an outer cylindrical wall mounted between said outer end walls; a shaft rotatably mounted in said outer end walls; a pair of axially spaced end wall members nonrotatably mounted on said shaft and extending radially therefrom; a pair of rotors rotatably supported on said shaft and received between said end wall members, each rotor having a ring member with an identical set of hydraulic vanes projecting radially inwardly therefrom toward the axis of said shaft; and an identical set of gas vanes projecting radially outwardly from said ring into sliding engagement with the inner surface of said outer cylindrical wall, said ring members being disposed in end-to-end relationship with the outer annular end of each ring member slidably engaged with the adjacent end wall member such that the inner surfaces of said rings defines the outer cylindrical wall of an annular hydraulic cavity receiving said hydraulic vanes, said annular hydraulic cavity having an inner cylindrical wall concentric with said shaft; the outer surfaces of said ring members defining the inner cylindrical wall of an annular gas cavity receiving said gas vanes, the outer cylindrical wall of which is defined by the inner surface of said outer cylindrical wall, said hydraulic vanes each extending axially into sliding engagement with said end wall members such that each adjacent pair of hydraulic vanes defines the movable walls of an expansible and contractable hydraulic chamber in said annular hydraulic cavity; and passage means communicating with each hydraulic chamber for delivery of fluid from the chamber upon contraction thereof caused by movement of the associated adjacent pair of hydraulic vanes toward each other, and for delivery of fluid to the chamber upon expansion thereof caused by movement of the associated adjacent pair of vanes away from each other.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
71 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 21 further including an inlet passage for connecting said hydraulic cavity with a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure; and a valve operable to prevent flow of hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic cavity through said inlet passage but permit flow of hydraulic fluid into said hydraulic cavity from said inlet passage when the pressure from the source exceeds the pressure in said hyDraulic cavity.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
48 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 22 wherein the leading and trailing surfaces of said gas vanes and hydraulic vanes lie in radial planes parallel with the axis of the shaft and diverging from each other from the axis of the shaft toward said outer cylindrical wall.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 24 wherein the number of gas vanes of each rotor is the same as the number of hydraulic vanes of each rotor.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
47 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 25 wherein each gas vane forms an extension of a hydraulic vane such that the leading and trailing surfaces of each gas vane lies in the same plane as the respective leading and trailing surfaces of the associated hydraulic vane.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 22 further including drive means responsive to flow of fluid to and from said chamber for imparting rotation to said shaft.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
46 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 27 wherein said drive means includes a plurality of piston members reciprocable in response to flow of hydraulic fluid to and from said chambers, and means responsive to reciprocation of said piston members to cause rotation of said shaft.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
54 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 28 including a cylinder defined on each end wall member for each of said hydraulic chambers and communicating hydraulically with its associated hydraulic chamber through said passage means, and wherein said plurality of piston members is constituted by a piston reciprocably received in each of said cylinders.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
48 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 29 wherein said means responsive to reciprocation of said piston members comprises a pair of cams located adjacent each end wall member and each having an endless cam surface reacting against the associated piston members to impart rotation to said shaft.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 30 wherein the configuration of said cam surface causes the associated piston members to move in a sinusoidal, wavelike path during their rotation about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
31 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 31 wherein said cylinders are disposed on the respective end wall members to cause the pistons to reciprocate radially with respect to said shaft.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
84 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 32 wherein each cam has a plurality of lobes projecting toward the axis of the shaft to define radially inwardly curved portions of the cam surface which are joined by radially outwardly extending portions such that each piston member is radially extendable as it moves from a radially inwardly extending portion onto the adjacent radially outwardly extending portion, and is retractable as it moves from a radially outwardly extending portion to the adjacent radially inwardly extending portion.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
146 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 33 wherein each adjacent pair of vanes moves toward each other to contract the associated hydraulic chamber and deliver hydraulic fluid from the chamber to the associated pair of cylinders and cause the pistons therein to radially extend relative to the axis of the shaft as the pistons move past the radially innermost point of an inwardly extending portion of their associated cam surfaces, said adjacent pair of vanes moving away from each other to permit hydraulic fluid to flow into the chamber from the associated cylinders as the pistons therein move past the radially outermost point of an outwardly extending portion of their associated cam surface causing the pistons to radially retract relative to the axis of said shaft as said pistons move from said radially outermost point to the following radially innermost point on the cam surfaces.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
41 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 34 wherein each rotor has four gas vanes such that adjacent pairs of gas vanes define pairs of diametrically disposed ignition chambers, exhaust chambers, intake chambers, and compression chambers in said annular gas cavity.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
47 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 35 further including means for synchronizing the rotors to maintain each adjacent pair of vanes centered relative to their respective passages when the vanes are at their closest approach at the end of a cycle of oscillation of the rotors.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
30 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 36 wherein said last-named means comprises at least one pin projecting into one of said chambers from one of said end wall members.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 36 wherein said last-named means comprises gears interconnecting said rotors and shaft.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
34 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 22 further including a supporting sleeve mounted on the inner ends of each of said sets of hydraulic vanes for rotatably supporting each rotor in said shaft.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
49 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 39 wherein each of said supporting sleeves is concentric with the ring member of its associated rotor, and said sleeves are disposed in end-to-ends relationship such that the outer surfaces of said sleeves define the inner surface of the annular hydraulic cavity.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
80 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 40 further including an annular groove formed in the inner end of each of said sleeves such that the grooves of the abutting sleeves cooperate to form an annular recess; a ring gear carried by each sleeve in said recess; and at least one pinion gear carried by said shaft and projecting into said recess into engagement with said ring gears to maintain the rotors in synchronization with the shaft and each other.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
83 words
A rotary machine comprising: means defining a hydraulic circuit including a cavity for hydraulic fluid connected in said circuit; a shaft rotatable in response to flow of fluid to and from said cavity in said circuit; a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to said shaft and for oscillating rotation with respect to each other; and means responsive to oscillating rotation of said rotors with respect to each other to cause flow of hydraulic fluid to and from said cavity.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
83 words
A rotary machine comprising: means defining a hydraulic circuit including a cavity for hydraulic fluid connected in said circuit; a shaft rotatable in response to flow of fluid to and from said cavity in said circuit; a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to said shaft and for oscillating rotation with respect to each other; and means responsive to oscillating rotation of said rotors with respect to each other to cause flow of hydraulic fluid to and from said cavity.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
69 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 42 further including an inlet passage for connecting said hydraulic circuit with a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, and a valve operable to prevent flow of hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic circuit through said inlet passage but permit flow of hydraulic fluid into said circuit through said inlet passage when the pressure from the source exceeds the pressure in said circuit.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
48 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 42 wherein said means responsive to oscillating rotation of said rotors comprises a plurality of hydraulic vanes in said cavity movable relative to each other upon oscillation of said rotors to cause flow of hydraulic fluid to and from said cavity.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
43 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 44 wherein said plurality of hydraulic vanes comprises two sets of hydraulic vanes, one of which is carried by one of said rotors and the other of which is carried by the other of said rotors.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 45 further including a pair of radially projecting end wall members fixed to said shaft and spaced axially from each other and defining the end walls of said cavity.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
63 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 45 wherein the hydraulic vanes cooperate to define a plurality of expansible and contractable chambers in said cavity with each adjacent pair of hydraulic vanes defining the movable walls of one of said chambers wherein oscillation of said rotors causes one set of said chambers to expand while the other set of said chambers correspondingly contracts.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 47 further including means defining a passage for each of said chambers to conduct fluid flow to and from the chambers upon expansion and contraction, respectively, of the chambers.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
33 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 48 wherein said means defining a passage for each of said chambers includes a port for each chamber in at least one of said end walls.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
28 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 48 further including drive means responsive to flow of fluid to and from said cavity To cause rotation of said shaft.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
44 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 50 wherein said drive means includes at least one drive member reciprocable in response to fluid flow to and from said cavity, and means responsive to reciprocation of said drive member to cause rotation of said shaft.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
41 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 50 wherein said drive means includes at least one drive member for each of said chambers reciprocable in response to fluid flow to and from its associated chamber to cause rotation of said shaft.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
28 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 52 wherein said drive means further includes means responsive to reciprocation of said drive members for imparting rotation to said shaft.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
43 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 53 wherein said means responsive to reciprocation of said drive members comprises a cam having an endless cam surface reacting against said drive members to impart rotation to said shaft upon reciprocation of said drive members.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
28 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 54 wherein said shaft is nonrotatable with respect to said drive members such that the drive members rotate with the shaft.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
39 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 55 wherein the configuration of said cam surface causes the drive members to move in a sinusoidal path and the drive members rotate with said shaft about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 56 wherein said drive members reciprocate in a radial direction with respect to the axis of said shaft upon oscillating rotation of said rotors with respect to each other.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
110 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 57 wherein the cam is formed with circumferentially spaced lobes projecting toward the axis of the shaft to define radially inwardly extending curved portions of the cam surface, said cam surface being formed with radially outwardly extending curved portions joining the radially inwardly extending portions of said lobes such that said drive member is radially extendable as it moves from a radially inwardly extending portion onto the adjacent radially outwardly extending portion, and is radially retractable as it moves from a radially outwardly extending portion to the adjacent radially inwardly extending portion as the drive member rotates about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
52 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 58 wherein said drive members each comprise a piston, and including a plurality of open ended cylinders carried by a flywheel, each of said pistons being received in the open end of one of said cylinders and projecting therefrom into engagement with same cam surface.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
63 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 59 wherein each of said cylinders communicates with the respective chambers through said ports whereby each piston is radially extendable in response to contraction of its associated chamber to correspondingly increase the volume of its cylinder, subsequent expansion of the associated chamber permitting the piston to radially retract and correspondingly reduce the volume of its cylinder.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
31 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 42 wherein said shaft projects through said cavity and the inner wall of said cavity is defined by a surface concentric with said shaft.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 61 wherein each rotor includes a mounting ring, the hydraulic vanes of each rotor projecting inwardly from the respective mounting ring to rotatably support the rotors on the shaft.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
90 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 62 including a pair of radially projecting end wall members spaced axially from each other and defining the end walls of said cavity and wherein the mounting rings of said rotors are disposed in end-to-end abutting relationship with the outer end of one of said rings engaging one of said end walls and the outer end of the other of said rings engaging the other of said end walls such that the abutting rings define the outer cylindrical wall of said hydraulic cavity.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
53 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 63 wherein the hydraulic vanes of each rotor extend the full axial distance between the end walls such that a hydraulic vane of one rotor cooperates with an adjacent hydraulic vane of the other rotor to define the movable walls of an expansible and contractable chamber.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
57 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 64 including a port formed in at least one of said end walls in communication with said expansible and contractable chamber such that contraction of the chamber causes fluid to flow from said cavity through said port and expansion of said chamber permits return flow of fluid through said port.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
72 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 64 wherein each of set of hydraulic vanes includes four hydraulic vanes extending inwardly from the respective rings with the hydraulic vanes of each set being spaced 90* from each other on the respective ring and projecting radially inwardly toward the axis of the shaft, each hydraulic vane of one set lying in said cavity between a pair of hydraulic vanes of the other set.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
66 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 62 wherein the hydraulic vanes cooperate to define eight segmental expansible and contractable chambers in said cavity with each adjacent pairs of hydraulic vanes defining the movable walls of one of said chambers wherein oscillation of said rotors causes one set of four of said chambers to expand while the other set of four of said chambers correspondingly contracts.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 67 further including means defining a passage for each of said chambers to conduct fluid flow to and from the chambers upon expansion and contraction, respectively, of the chambers.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
33 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 68 wherein said means defining a passage for each of said chamber includes a port for each chamber in at least one of said end walls.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
25 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 69 wherein said passage means further includes a recess in said shaft communicating with each of said ports.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
28 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 46 wherein each rotor includes a mounting ring, the hydraulic vanes of each rotor projecting inwardly from the respective mounting ring.
Claim 75
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 71 including an outer cylindrical wall defining an annular gas cavity with said rings, the outer surfaces of said rings defining the inner cylindrical wall of said annular cavity.
Claim 76
Dependent Claim
19 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 72 including means defining axially spaced end walls for said gas cavity.
Claim 77
Dependent Claim
44 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 73 including a plurality of gas vanes projecting from each of said rings into sliding engagement with the inner surface of said outer cylindrical wall, each gas vane extending axially into sliding engagement with the end walls.
Claim 78
Dependent Claim
82 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 74 wherein each rotor has a gas vane for each hydraulic vane, the gas vanes each forming a radial extension of a hydraulic vane, each gas vane of one rotor extending axially between a pair of vanes of the other rotor such that a plurality of expansible and contractable gas chambers are formed in the annular gas cavity with each adjacent pair of gas vanes defining the movable wall of one of said gas chambers.
Claim 79
Dependent Claim
88 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 74 further including means defining an external combustion cavity having an inlet port and an outlet port communicating with said annular gas cavity at circumferentially spaced locations such that each gas chamber sequentially (1) communicates with said combustion chamber through said inlet port, (2) is located between said inlet and outlet ports and is thereby disconnected from said combustion chamber, and (3) communicates with said combustion chamber through said outlet port as the rotors rotate about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 80
Dependent Claim
98 words
A rotary machine comprising: a rotatable shaft; a pair of rotors each mounted on said shaft for rotation with respect thereto; means defining a hydraulic circuit including a cavity for hydraulic fluid connected in said hydraulic circuit; drive means operable in response to flow of hydraulic fluid in said circuit to and from said cavity to cause rotation of said shaft; and means cooperable with said drive means and responsive to oscillation of said rotors with respect to each other as the rotors rotate about said shaft to cause hydraulic fluid to flow to and from said cavity.
Claim 81
Dependent Claim
98 words
A rotary machine comprising: a rotatable shaft; a pair of rotors each mounted on said shaft for rotation with respect thereto; means defining a hydraulic circuit including a cavity for hydraulic fluid connected in said hydraulic circuit; drive means operable in response to flow of hydraulic fluid in said circuit to and from said cavity to cause rotation of said shaft; and means cooperable with said drive means and responsive to oscillation of said rotors with respect to each other as the rotors rotate about said shaft to cause hydraulic fluid to flow to and from said cavity.
Claim 82
Dependent Claim
69 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 77 further including an inlet passage for connecting said hydraulic circuit with a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, and a valve operable to prevent flow of hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic circuit through said inlet passage but permit flow of hydraulic fluid into said circuit through said inlet passage when the pressure from the source exceeds the pressure in said circuit.
Claim 83
Dependent Claim
44 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 77 wherein said drive means includes at least one drive member reciprocable in response to fluid flow to and from said cavity, and means responsive to reciprocation of said drive member to cause rotation of said shaft.
Claim 84
Dependent Claim
40 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 79 wherein said means responsive to reciprocation of said drive member comprises an endless cam surface reacting against said drive member to impart rotation to said shaft upon reciprocation of said drive member.
Claim 85
Dependent Claim
28 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 80 wherein said shaft is nonrotative with respective to said drive member such that the drive member rotates with the shaft.
Claim 86
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 81 wherein the configuration of said cam surface causes the drive member to move in a sinusoidal path as the drive member rotates about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 87
Dependent Claim
35 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 82 wherein said drive member reciprocates in a radial direction with respect to the axis of said shaft in response to fluid flow to and from said cavity.
Claim 88
Dependent Claim
110 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 83 wherein the cam is formed with circumferentially spaced lobes projecting toward the axis of the shaft to define radially inwardly extending curved portions of the cam surface, said cam surface being formed with radially outwardly extending curved portions joining the radially inwardly extending portions of said lobes such that said drive member is radially extendable as it moves from a radially inward extending portion onto the adjacent radially outwardly extending portion, and is radially retractable as it moves from a radially outwardly extending portion to the adjacent radially inwardly extending portion as the drive member rotates about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 89
Dependent Claim
46 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 84 wherein said drive member comprises a piston, and including an open ended cylinder carried by said shaft with said piston being received in the open end of said cylinder and projecting therefrom into engagement with same cam surface.
Claim 90
Dependent Claim
51 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 85 wherein said cylinder is hydraulically connected with said cavity such that flow of fluid from said cavity to said cylinder urges the piston to radially extend, and return flow of fluid from said cylinder to said cavity permits the piston to radially retract.
Claim 91
Dependent Claim
87 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 86 wherein said means cooperable with said drive means and responsive to oscillation of said rotors to cause hydraulic fluid to flow to and from said cavity comprises at least one hydraulic vane carried by each rotor and extending into said cavity such that the hydraulic vane of one rotor moves toward and away from the hydraulic vane of the other rotor in response to oscillation of the rotors to cause hydraulic fluid to flow to and from said cavity.
Claim 92
Dependent Claim
15 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 87 wherein said shaft projects through said cavity.
Claim 93
Dependent Claim
34 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 88 wherein each rotor includes a mounting ring, the hydraulic vane of each rotor projecting inwardly from the respective mounting ring toward the axis of said shaft.
Claim 94
Dependent Claim
32 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 89 further including a pair of flywheels fixed to said shaft and spaced axially from each other and defining the end walls of said cavity.
Claim 95
Dependent Claim
63 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 90 wherein the mounting rings of said rotors are disposed in end-to-end abutting relationship with the outer end of one of the rings engaging one of the flywheels and the outer end of the other ring engaging the other of the flywheels such that the abutting mounting rings define the outer cylindrical wall of said cavity.
Claim 96
Dependent Claim
39 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 91 including an outer cylindrical wall defining an annular gas cavity with said ring members, the outer surfaces of said ring members defining the inner cylindrical wall of said annular gas cavity.
Claim 97
Dependent Claim
22 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 92 including means forming a pair of axially spaced end walls for said gas cavity.
Claim 98
Dependent Claim
21 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 93 wherein said gas cavity end walls are hollow to provide space for coolant.
Claim 99
Dependent Claim
45 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 93 including at least one gas vane projecting from each of said ring members into sliding engagement with the inner surface of said outer cylindrical wall, each gas vane extending axially into sliding engagement with the end walls.
Claim 100
Dependent Claim
129 words
A rotary machine comprising: a rotatable shaft; a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to said shaft; reciprocable drive members carried by said shaft and hydraulically connected with said rotors such that oscillation of the rotors with respect to each other causes reciprocation of the drive members; a reaction surface engaged by the drive members to provide a force to impart rotation to said shaft in response to reciprocation of said drive members and to constrain the drive members to move in a sinusoidal path about the axis of the shaft during rotation of the shaft, the hydraulic connection between the drive members and rotors constraining the rotors to oscillate with respect to each other with a symmetrical sine wave motion during rotation of the shaft.
Claim 101
Dependent Claim
129 words
A rotary machine comprising: a rotatable shaft; a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to said shaft; reciprocable drive members carried by said shaft and hydraulically connected with said rotors such that oscillation of the rotors with respect to each other causes reciprocation of the drive members; a reaction surface engaged by the drive members to provide a force to impart rotation to said shaft in response to reciprocation of said drive members and to constrain the drive members to move in a sinusoidal path about the axis of the shaft during rotation of the shaft, the hydraulic connection between the drive members and rotors constraining the rotors to oscillate with respect to each other with a symmetrical sine wave motion during rotation of the shaft.
Claim 102
Dependent Claim
52 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 96 further including means defining a cavity for hydraulic fluid, and means in said cavity carried by said rotors operable to cause hydraulic fluid to flow to and from said cavity and cause reciprocation of said drive members in response to oscillation of said rotors.
Claim 103
Dependent Claim
71 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 97 further including an inlet passage for connecting said hydraulic cavity with a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure; and a valve operable to prevent flow of hydraulic fluid from said hydraulic cavity through said inlet passage but permit flow of hydraulic fluid into said hydraulic cavity from said inlet passage when the pressure from the source exceeds the pressure in the hydraulic cavity.
Claim 104
Dependent Claim
45 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 97 wherein said means in said cavity carried by said rotors comprise a plurality of hydraulic vanes movable relative to each other upon oscillation of said rotors to cause flow of hydraulic fluid to and from said cavity.
Claim 105
Dependent Claim
43 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 99 wherein said plurality of hydraulic vanes comprises two sets of hydraulic vanes, one of which is carried by one of said rotors and the other of which is carried by the other of said rotors.
Claim 106
Dependent Claim
24 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 100 wherein said shaft projects through said hydraulic cavity and is concentric with the inner wall thereof.
Claim 107
Dependent Claim
33 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 101 further including a pair of flywheels fixed to said shaft and spaced axially from each other and defining the end walls of said hydraulic cavity.
Claim 108
Dependent Claim
29 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 102 wherein each rotor includes a mounting ring, the hydraulic vanes of each rotor projecting radially inwardly from the respective mounting ring.
Claim 109
Dependent Claim
68 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 103 wherein the mounting rings of said rotors are disposed in end-to-end abutting relationship with the outer end of one of said rings engaging onE of said end walls and the outer end of the other of said rings engaging the other of said end walls such that the abutting ring members define the outer cylindrical wall of said hydraulic cavity.
Claim 110
Dependent Claim
53 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 104 wherein the hydraulic vanes of each rotor extend the full axial distance between the end walls such that a hydraulic vane of one rotor cooperates with an adjacent hydraulic vane of the other rotor to define the movable walls of an expansible and contractable chamber.
Claim 111
Dependent Claim
56 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 105 including a port formed in at least one of said flywheels in communication with said expansible and contractable chamber such that contraction of the chamber causes fluid to flow from said cavity through said port and expansion of said chamber permits return flow of fluid through said port.
Claim 112
Dependent Claim
83 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 106 wherein each set of hydraulic vanes includes four hydraulic vanes extending inwardly from the respective rings with the hydraulic vanes of each set being spaced 90* from each other on the respective ring and projecting radially inwardly to engage the outer surface of the shaft to thereby rotatably support the respective rotors on the shaft, each hydraulic vane of one set lying in said cavity between a pair of hydraulic vanes of the other set.
Claim 113
Dependent Claim
68 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 107 wherein the hydraulic vanes cooperate to define eight segmental, expansible and contractable chambers in said cavity with each adjacent pair of hydraulic vanes defining the movable walls of one of said chambers wherein oscillation of said rotors causes one set of four of four of said chambers to expand while the other set of four of said chambers correspondingly contracts.
Claim 114
Dependent Claim
36 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 108 further including means defining a passage for each of said chambers to conduct fluid flow to and from the chambers upon expansion and contraction, respectively, of the chambers.
Claim 115
Dependent Claim
34 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 109 wherein said means defining a passage for each of said chambers includes one of said ports for each chamber in at least one of said flywheels.
Claim 116
Dependent Claim
25 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 110 wherein said passage means further includes a recess in said shaft communicating with each of said ports.
Claim 117
Dependent Claim
31 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 111 including at least one drive member for each of said chambers reciprocable in response to fluid flow to and from its associated chamber.
Claim 118
Dependent Claim
25 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 112 further comprising at least one cam, said reaction surface comprising an endless cam surface in said cam.
Claim 119
Dependent Claim
26 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 113 wherein said drive members are reciprocable in a radial direction with respect to the axis of said shaft.
Claim 120
Dependent Claim
112 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 114 wherein the cam is formed with circumferentially spaced lobes projecting toward the axis of the shaft to define radially inwardly extending curved portions of the cam surface, said cam surface being formed with radially outwardly extending curved portions joining the radially inwardly extending portions of said lobes such that each of said drive members is radially extendable as it moves from a radially inwardly extending portion onto the adjacent radially outwardly extending portion, and is radially retractable as it moves from a radially outwardly extending portion to the adjacent radially inwardly extending portion as the drive member rotates about the axis of said shaft.
Claim 121
Dependent Claim
56 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 115 wherein said drive members each comprises a ball piston, and including a plurality of open-ended cylinders carried by at least one of said flywheels, each of said pistons being received in the open end of one of said cylinders and projecting therefrom into engagement with said cam surface.
Claim 122
Dependent Claim
65 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 116 wherein each of said ports connects one of said chambers with one of said cyliNders whereby each piston is radially extendable in response to contraction of its associated chamber to correspondingly increase the volume of its cylinder, subsequent expansion of the associated chamber permitting the piston to radially retract and correspondingly reduce the volume of its cylinder.
Claim 123
Dependent Claim
39 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 117 including an outer cylindrical wall defining an annular gas cavity with said ring members, the outer surfaces of said ring members defining the inner cylindrical wall of said annular gas cavity.
Claim 124
Dependent Claim
18 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 118 including means defining end walls for said annular gas cavity.
Claim 125
Dependent Claim
49 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 119 including a plurality of gas vanes projecting from each of said ring members into sliding engagement with the inner surface of said outer cylindrical wall, each gas vane extending axially into sliding engagement with the end walls of the gas cavity.
Claim 126
Dependent Claim
81 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 120 wherein each rotor has a gas vane for each hydraulic vane, the gas vanes each forming a radial extension of a hydraulic vane, each gas vane of one rotor extending axially between a pair of vanes of the other rotor such that eight segmental expansible and contractable gas chambers are formed in the annular gas cavity with each adjacent pair of gas vanes defining the movable wall of one of said gas chambers.
Claim 127
Dependent Claim
40 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 121 further including a pair of spaced outer engine housing end walls, said shaft being rotatably mounted in said outer end walls and said outer cylindrical wall extending between said outer end walls.
Claim 128
Dependent Claim
83 words
A rotary machine as claimed in claim 122 further including an annular groove formed in the inner surface of each said outer end walls, an inlet passage extending from the outer surface of said outer end wall for conducting hydraulic fluid to said annular groove, each of said cylinders having a check valve controlled port communicating with said annular groove whereby hydraulic fluid is supplied to each of the cylinders when the pressure in the annular groove exceeds the pressure in said cylinder.
Claim 129
Dependent Claim
266 words
A rotary machine comprising: means defining an annular gas cavity having an outer cylindrical wall; a shaft; a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to said shaft and for oscillating rotation with respect to each other; at least one gas vane on each of said rotors projecting into said annular gas cavity such that an adjacent pair of gas vanes cooperate to define the movable walls of an expansible gas chamber, said pair of vanes approaching and receding from each other to respectively expand and contract the gas chamber in response to oscillation of the rotors with respect to each other as the rotors rotate about the axis of said shaft to respectively contract and expand the gas chamber formed therebetween; an external combustion chamber carried by said engine, said combustion chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port communicating with said annular gas cavity at circumferentially spaced locations such that the gas chamber sequentially (1) communicates with said combustion chamber when the space between the leading and trailing vanes is in communication with said inlet port only as the gas chamber approaches its contracted condition, (2) is disconnected from the combustion chamber when the trailing end of the leading vane and the leading end of the trailing vane are located between the inlet and outlet ports as the gas chamber reaches its fully retracted condition, and (3) communicates with said combustion chamber when the space between the leading and trailing vanes is in communication with said outlet port only as the gas chamber begins to expand from its fully retracted condition.
Claim 130
Dependent Claim
266 words
A rotary machine comprising: means defining an annular gas cavity having an outer cylindrical wall; a shaft; a pair of rotors each mounted for rotation with respect to said shaft and for oscillating rotation with respect to each other; at least one gas vane on each of said rotors projecting into said annular gas cavity such that an adjacent pair of gas vanes cooperate to define the movable walls of an expansible gas chamber, said pair of vanes approaching and receding from each other to respectively expand and contract the gas chamber in response to oscillation of the rotors with respect to each other as the rotors rotate about the axis of said shaft to respectively contract and expand the gas chamber formed therebetween; an external combustion chamber carried by said engine, said combustion chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port communicating with said annular gas cavity at circumferentially spaced locations such that the gas chamber sequentially (1) communicates with said combustion chamber when the space between the leading and trailing vanes is in communication with said inlet port only as the gas chamber approaches its contracted condition, (2) is disconnected from the combustion chamber when the trailing end of the leading vane and the leading end of the trailing vane are located between the inlet and outlet ports as the gas chamber reaches its fully retracted condition, and (3) communicates with said combustion chamber when the space between the leading and trailing vanes is in communication with said outlet port only as the gas chamber begins to expand from its fully retracted condition.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3361038A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-26 | 1975-01-25 | 1975-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-26 | 1979-01-25 | 1979-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-26 | 1983-01-25 | 1983-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |